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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ball — a great time
  5. drill — a practice
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wax — to grow
  9. drill — army training
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mark — a trace
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com